Caring and faithful people have always been a prominent asset to Ripley & Fletcher. In 1914, Bert Cole and Ralph Tracey Pierce came into the Ripley & Fletcher family.
Now, another faithful associate of Perley Ripley enters the story. For five years, Irving Barrows was the youngest treasurer of a bank in the State of Maine and New England. In 1915, Irving took a leave of absence from the Paris Trust Company because he was not feeling well and needed to improve his health. He bought a pair of oxen that had just won a ribbon at the Lewiston State Fair, and Irving worked his oxen in the woods all winter for his father, Oscar Barrows. The next spring, Irving helped his father build many houses in South Paris. One of the houses is 13 Barrows Street, which was the house made especially for Irving. He took his bride, Ada Turner, there in 1915.
Perley Ripley was President of the locally-owned Paris Trust Company of which Irving was the Treasurer again after his leave of absence.
In 1935, Mr. Ripley asked Irving how much longer he intended to work at the bank. Irving's reply was "Until you take me out." Perley offered Irving the management of the oil burner business at Ripley & Fletcher. Actually, it was a subtle way of getting Irving involved in learning the whole Ripley & Fletcher Company business. Irving took the job.
In 1936, Ken Bagley from South Portland came to work for Mr. Ripley at Ripley Motors, now located on Forest Avenue in Portland. When Ripley Motors was sold in 1938, Ken was sent to the Bridgton store as assistant to James McNutt.
Mr. McNutt's real livelihood was lumbering. It seems that Mr. McNutt was using Perley's dealer plates on his lumber trucks, which did not exactly please Mr. Ripley after he found out about it. It became Irving Barrow's responsibility to inform Mr. McNutt that Mr. Ripley wanted to make some changes - namely to let McNutt go. Ken became General Manager, but World War II was imminent. At the end of the year in 1941, Ken and his wife, Marion, went home to South Portland. Ken worked in the shipyard at South Portland until September, 1944.
In 1942, Mr. Ripley closed the Bridgton store and sold the building to the town of Bridgton.
In 1944, Ken Bagley came to the Ripley & Fletcher store in South Paris as Service Manager. Hal Fletcher was Parts Manager and Howard McAlister was Sales Manager.
Iona Chapman and Marion Bagley worked in the office. Marion told this story: "Mr. Ripley was in the habit of stepping along to the cash drawer and removing as much money as he needed for his current activity - golfing, betting on the horses, whatever. This certainly hampered us girls from cashing up on the button at the end of the day. One day, Iona asked Mr. Ripley if he would just as soon write down the amount of money he removed from the cash register. A dumbfounded expression came over Perley's face. It had never occurred to him that he was fouling up our bookkeeping."
On August 13th, 1945, Perley Ripley died in the hospital from heart complications which had hospitalized him for several weeks.
I'll pick the story up from here next time. Thanks for reading.
Don
Friday, November 5, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Continuing the Ripley & Fletcher Story
Originally, a hotel sat on the Ripley & Fletcher Company property. The train stop and station across the street at South Paris induced the property owners to build the Grand Trunk Hotel, which had an overpass across the street to the station. Before the hotel burned in the late 1890's it was known as the Paris House.
In 1915, a new building was built at the present location on the hotel site. Ripley & Fletcher was a 50 X 100 foot building of cement blocks and was one of the show places of the two towns. Bert Cole helped build it.
In 1920, a fifty-foot addition of three stories was built, providing space for a salesroom, service shop and paint shop. If you know where to look or have someone to tell you, you can still make out the end of the first building and the extension of the main building.
Subsequently, in 1918, Ripley & Fletcher established a second Ford dealership in Bridgton, Maine. It was an extension of the South Paris Ripley & Fletcher store and was managed by James McNutt.
In 1925, Perley became associated with Arthur Cook in Portland, and the Ford dealership became known as Cook, Ripley on Washington Ave. Mr. Ripley maintained an apartment in Portland as well as his home in South Paris.
In 1927, Mr. Ripley purchased Mr. Cook's share of the business and changed the name to Ripley Motors, Inc. At that time, Mr. Ripley was the only dealer in New England holding a Ford Franchise in three separate locations.
Again, I hope you found the story interesting. Check back, there's more to come.
Don
In 1915, a new building was built at the present location on the hotel site. Ripley & Fletcher was a 50 X 100 foot building of cement blocks and was one of the show places of the two towns. Bert Cole helped build it.
In 1920, a fifty-foot addition of three stories was built, providing space for a salesroom, service shop and paint shop. If you know where to look or have someone to tell you, you can still make out the end of the first building and the extension of the main building.
Subsequently, in 1918, Ripley & Fletcher established a second Ford dealership in Bridgton, Maine. It was an extension of the South Paris Ripley & Fletcher store and was managed by James McNutt.
In 1925, Perley became associated with Arthur Cook in Portland, and the Ford dealership became known as Cook, Ripley on Washington Ave. Mr. Ripley maintained an apartment in Portland as well as his home in South Paris.
In 1927, Mr. Ripley purchased Mr. Cook's share of the business and changed the name to Ripley Motors, Inc. At that time, Mr. Ripley was the only dealer in New England holding a Ford Franchise in three separate locations.
Again, I hope you found the story interesting. Check back, there's more to come.
Don
Monday, September 20, 2010
A Lesson on Inflation
From a 1963 article in the Advertiser-Democrat on the early history of Ripley & Fletcher Company, it states: "There were two styles of Fords in those days - touring and tourabout, or roadster. The 1909 Ford was a gleaming vehicle, having a powerful four-cylinder motor, no doors, brass trimmings, carbide lights and bulb horn."
"In 1911, doors were added. The Model A appeared in 1928 and 1932 saw the start of eight-cylinder units. An example of the economy of those Model A's is borne out by the fact that a brand new one was purchased for $500.00, driven nineteen years and sold for $150.00."
In DEALER WORLD, March, 1981, a publication for Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealers and dealership managers, an article states: "While going through some old records recently, James Bryant, Sales Manager for Ripley & Fletcher Company, Ford dealership in South Paris, Maine, got a lesson in once-upon-a-time inflation rates and a look at how some sales were consummated in Ford dealerships years ago.
"Invoices recording the sale of two new Ford Touring Cars provided Bryant's education. The first car was sold in 1917 by Ripley & Fletcher for $415.30. As part of the deal, the customer got to trade in a horse valued at $150.00. The invoice for the second sale, made six years later in 1923, shows an annual inflation rate back then of about 1-1/3 percent. The second touring car was sold for $448.22, a price increase of just $32.92 in six years." (Editor's note: Bryant says Ripley & Fletcher was established in 1909 and has operated from the same building, with a few changes, for all these years. He closed his letter with this postscript: "We had to have the horse laid away last year.")
I hope you enjoy the story.
Don
"In 1911, doors were added. The Model A appeared in 1928 and 1932 saw the start of eight-cylinder units. An example of the economy of those Model A's is borne out by the fact that a brand new one was purchased for $500.00, driven nineteen years and sold for $150.00."
In DEALER WORLD, March, 1981, a publication for Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealers and dealership managers, an article states: "While going through some old records recently, James Bryant, Sales Manager for Ripley & Fletcher Company, Ford dealership in South Paris, Maine, got a lesson in once-upon-a-time inflation rates and a look at how some sales were consummated in Ford dealerships years ago.
"Invoices recording the sale of two new Ford Touring Cars provided Bryant's education. The first car was sold in 1917 by Ripley & Fletcher for $415.30. As part of the deal, the customer got to trade in a horse valued at $150.00. The invoice for the second sale, made six years later in 1923, shows an annual inflation rate back then of about 1-1/3 percent. The second touring car was sold for $448.22, a price increase of just $32.92 in six years." (Editor's note: Bryant says Ripley & Fletcher was established in 1909 and has operated from the same building, with a few changes, for all these years. He closed his letter with this postscript: "We had to have the horse laid away last year.")
I hope you enjoy the story.
Don
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A story from Ripley & Fletcher's past
The following is an excerpt from "A Story of Maine Pluck" as told by Perley Ripley to Arthur Staples, the author.
Perley Ripley told about the way he got into the Ford Agency and how one day he took his life in his hands, cast discretion to the winds, bartered his future, called down on his head the reproach and the ridicule of the community that dubbed him "crazy" and a "damn fool" and bought a whole car-load of Fords - three cars in a car-load.
When they arrived at South Paris, Norway and as far away as Rumford Point, the rest of the nearby world came to the station to see them come in. Never was there such a crowd - not even at the circus. He himself had not slept for a week, awaiting their arrival by rail and pondering on their unloading. Perley had Al Spear from Portland bring a man with him and also had several house and building movers from around South Paris there. He also had the Republicans and the Democrats there, and the scene as that massive carload of Fords was unloaded was worth witnessing. "Well," he said, "times have changed. Now they send a boy and a man over and they unload a carload of Fords while you wait."
"Of course I sold 'em - just about did it and that was all. Some transaction, I am going to say. Almost $3,000.00 right there, yes almost $3,000.00, by gorry. Then I trade cars and bought them, and then I sold them. The first car I bought, I ran a season and in the time when I decided to sell it, I had a customer pretty well landed. He was backing and filling and I knew he wanted that car overmuch. That's the time to sell it and that's the man for a customer. He lived in Andover, so one morning I started bright and early for Andover to sell that car. He lived on top of a hill and before I got to his house, I drove the car into a side road to let her cool off. She WAS boiling - I assure you; yes, she was boiling. I oiled her up and smoothed her down and patted and encouraged her and when I drove by that man's house, she was going good. I turned back and sort of remembered that I had heard that, maybe, he might buy a car. Mebbe he might, didn't know, mebbe he might. I found him at home and he was interested."
"Well, I stood around chewing wheat straw, leg on the rail of the barnyard fence and talked with him all day. We were talking at noon and we were talking at 2 P.M. Finally, he did say all of a sudden that he would gimme a three year old colt and a pair of big seven-foot oxen for the car."
"You've got a car," said I.
"When you ready to deliver the car?" said he, kinder hesitating as though he were sorry.
"She's all delivered," says I. "There she stands; hitch me to the oxen and the colt and I'll be going along. I've got SOME tramp."
"How you going to get them oxen home?" asked the man.
"Don't you worry," says I. "Them oxen belong to me, the trade's made. I'll take 'em right in charge from this minute."
"Gosh," he said, "hain't going to walk "em home, be ye?"
"Now, if I hadn't taken those oxen and the colt then, he would never have taken the automobile. Night would have brought him different counsel. So I got a piece of twine, hitched those oxen together and started at 2:30 P.M. for South Paris. It was into the night when I reached Rumford Point. Think of what it meant with the oxen stumbling along through the night and I leading a three year old colt, footing it every step of the way."
I got supper at Rumford Point, traded with a man to drive the oxen in the next day and started with the colt, leading him into South Paris. Forty mortal miles it was between Andover and my door yard. I fairly stumbled in along after daybreak. And that colt was just able to totter."
"I got the oxen in a few days, traded them, sold the colt and got a good thing. THAT's an autombile trade. But the trek through the night, leading a colt, trailing two oxen walking mortal slow, edging them along, stumbling in the way, was unforgettable. But, that's partly how I made my start. And I was only a boy in the trade game at that."
The first Ford to be SOLD was in 1910 to George Atwood, owner and publisher of the Oxford Democrat. Ten cars were sold that first year.
I hope you enjoyed the story. There will be others to follow.
Thanks for reading.
Don
Perley Ripley told about the way he got into the Ford Agency and how one day he took his life in his hands, cast discretion to the winds, bartered his future, called down on his head the reproach and the ridicule of the community that dubbed him "crazy" and a "damn fool" and bought a whole car-load of Fords - three cars in a car-load.
When they arrived at South Paris, Norway and as far away as Rumford Point, the rest of the nearby world came to the station to see them come in. Never was there such a crowd - not even at the circus. He himself had not slept for a week, awaiting their arrival by rail and pondering on their unloading. Perley had Al Spear from Portland bring a man with him and also had several house and building movers from around South Paris there. He also had the Republicans and the Democrats there, and the scene as that massive carload of Fords was unloaded was worth witnessing. "Well," he said, "times have changed. Now they send a boy and a man over and they unload a carload of Fords while you wait."
"Of course I sold 'em - just about did it and that was all. Some transaction, I am going to say. Almost $3,000.00 right there, yes almost $3,000.00, by gorry. Then I trade cars and bought them, and then I sold them. The first car I bought, I ran a season and in the time when I decided to sell it, I had a customer pretty well landed. He was backing and filling and I knew he wanted that car overmuch. That's the time to sell it and that's the man for a customer. He lived in Andover, so one morning I started bright and early for Andover to sell that car. He lived on top of a hill and before I got to his house, I drove the car into a side road to let her cool off. She WAS boiling - I assure you; yes, she was boiling. I oiled her up and smoothed her down and patted and encouraged her and when I drove by that man's house, she was going good. I turned back and sort of remembered that I had heard that, maybe, he might buy a car. Mebbe he might, didn't know, mebbe he might. I found him at home and he was interested."
"Well, I stood around chewing wheat straw, leg on the rail of the barnyard fence and talked with him all day. We were talking at noon and we were talking at 2 P.M. Finally, he did say all of a sudden that he would gimme a three year old colt and a pair of big seven-foot oxen for the car."
"You've got a car," said I.
"When you ready to deliver the car?" said he, kinder hesitating as though he were sorry.
"She's all delivered," says I. "There she stands; hitch me to the oxen and the colt and I'll be going along. I've got SOME tramp."
"How you going to get them oxen home?" asked the man.
"Don't you worry," says I. "Them oxen belong to me, the trade's made. I'll take 'em right in charge from this minute."
"Gosh," he said, "hain't going to walk "em home, be ye?"
"Now, if I hadn't taken those oxen and the colt then, he would never have taken the automobile. Night would have brought him different counsel. So I got a piece of twine, hitched those oxen together and started at 2:30 P.M. for South Paris. It was into the night when I reached Rumford Point. Think of what it meant with the oxen stumbling along through the night and I leading a three year old colt, footing it every step of the way."
I got supper at Rumford Point, traded with a man to drive the oxen in the next day and started with the colt, leading him into South Paris. Forty mortal miles it was between Andover and my door yard. I fairly stumbled in along after daybreak. And that colt was just able to totter."
"I got the oxen in a few days, traded them, sold the colt and got a good thing. THAT's an autombile trade. But the trek through the night, leading a colt, trailing two oxen walking mortal slow, edging them along, stumbling in the way, was unforgettable. But, that's partly how I made my start. And I was only a boy in the trade game at that."
The first Ford to be SOLD was in 1910 to George Atwood, owner and publisher of the Oxford Democrat. Ten cars were sold that first year.
I hope you enjoyed the story. There will be others to follow.
Thanks for reading.
Don
Friday, September 3, 2010
Ford incentives
Good morning!
I wanted to let everyone know that Ford is offering some great incentives on the 2010's. Depending on what vehicle you're interested in, Ford is offering up to $5,500 in rebates (rebates in this range are on the trucks, cars & SUV's are less but still very good) or 0% financing on many models.
Let me know what you're looking for and I should be able to give you a deal you will be very pleased with.
We also have many 2011's on our lot if you prefer, and there are some good offers from Ford on many of those models as well.
Have a great Labor day week-end.
I wanted to let everyone know that Ford is offering some great incentives on the 2010's. Depending on what vehicle you're interested in, Ford is offering up to $5,500 in rebates (rebates in this range are on the trucks, cars & SUV's are less but still very good) or 0% financing on many models.
Let me know what you're looking for and I should be able to give you a deal you will be very pleased with.
We also have many 2011's on our lot if you prefer, and there are some good offers from Ford on many of those models as well.
Have a great Labor day week-end.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Our Website!
Hi, it's Don again.
Check out Ripley & Fletcher Ford at ripleyandfletcher.com or on facebook at Ripley & Fletcher Ford. We're on twitter also at Ripley & Fletcher.
Our physical address is 80 Main Street in South Paris, Maine, 04281. Our land phone is 207-743-8938 and my cell is 207-739-9339.
Thanks!
Check out Ripley & Fletcher Ford at ripleyandfletcher.com or on facebook at Ripley & Fletcher Ford. We're on twitter also at Ripley & Fletcher.
Our physical address is 80 Main Street in South Paris, Maine, 04281. Our land phone is 207-743-8938 and my cell is 207-739-9339.
Thanks!
Who and where are we?
Hi, my name is Don Tibbetts and I want you to know about Ripley and Fletcher Ford.
Ripley & Fletcher Ford has been in business since 1909 and has a long and rich tradition selling and servicing new Ford cars and trucks and our fine selection of pre-owned vehicles. We want your business and will work to earn your trust.
We understand your investment in a vehicle is a big decision and that you're looking for quality, dependability and the lowest possible cost of ownership. So if you're in the market for a new or pre-owned car, truck or van, please think of me and Ripley & Fletcher Ford. We don't do gimmicks or come-ons, we'll give you an honest, fair deal and follow-up with a continued commitment to your satisfaction.
P.S. ...You'll be very pleased with our service, parts and body shop departments also.
I hope to see you soon!
Ripley & Fletcher Ford has been in business since 1909 and has a long and rich tradition selling and servicing new Ford cars and trucks and our fine selection of pre-owned vehicles. We want your business and will work to earn your trust.
We understand your investment in a vehicle is a big decision and that you're looking for quality, dependability and the lowest possible cost of ownership. So if you're in the market for a new or pre-owned car, truck or van, please think of me and Ripley & Fletcher Ford. We don't do gimmicks or come-ons, we'll give you an honest, fair deal and follow-up with a continued commitment to your satisfaction.
P.S. ...You'll be very pleased with our service, parts and body shop departments also.
I hope to see you soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)